Austin Clubhouse

In early 2008, NAMI Austin board members began researching the ICCD clubhouse model (www.iccd.org) and invited the Executive Director of San Antonio’s Our House and several of their clubhouse members to speak at one of our meetings. The program was a hit, and was followed by an article in the NAMI Austin newsletter.

Excitement was ignited in the NAMI Austin membership. As a result of a successful NAMI Walk in October 2008, the NAMI Austin Board of Directors included $30,000 in their 2009 annual budget to fund the clubhouse as start-up project, with the intention of spinning it off as a separate nonprofit organization, as soon as practicable.

Over the next twelve months, start-up manager Kelly Roten was hired and a working group formed. As working group members networked throughout the mental health community and pitched the idea of starting an ICCD model clubhouse for mental health consumers, the overwhelming response was, “Why doesn’t Austin already have one?” Everyone who heard about the clubhouse project was helpful with personal contacts and introductions to a much larger segment of the Austin community.

By the summer of 2009, the clubhouse organization was ready to take the next step and formalize its structure. A Board of Directors was formed and Austin Clubhouse Inc. was incorporated in the State of Texas on August 20, 2009. Soon after, an application for 501(c)(3) status was filed. On February 16, 2010, Austin Clubhouse’s application for nonprofit status was approved by the Internal Revenue Service.